Linerless mold cap



Jan. 17, 1933. A. 1.. GAGNE ET AL LINERLES S MOLD CAP Filed Dec. 8, 1930 INVENTOR.

ARTHc/e L. G s/vE:

Jess H A. SNYDER BY ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 17, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR L. GAGNfi AND JOSEPH A. SNYDER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNORS TO INTERTYPE CORPORATION, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK LINERLESS MOLD CAP Application filed December 8, 1930. Serial No. 500,910.

Our invention relates to improvements in linerless mold caps, and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements hereinafter described and claimed.

In line casting machines it is necessary to remove liners when changing from slugs of one point size to slugs of a different point size. This requires the time of the operator to make such a change, and it also requires two liners for every change of point size. The changes in point size for the slugs range from five points to fourteen points inclusive, and in addition there is a five and one-half point size. The operator therefore has to keep twenty-two liners in order to cover all of the different point sizes, and these liners are expensive.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a mold in which the point sizes can be changed without the use of liners. The device is provided with a dial and an actuating knob whereby the operator can change the point size to any desired one by merely turning the knob. This results in a great saving of time, and it also does away with the necessity of having a large number of liners on hand.

A further object of our invention is to provide a device of the type described which is extremely simple in construction and which may be attached to a standard line casting machine without any alterations being necessary in the latter.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds, and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out in the claims hereto annexed.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

40 Figure 1 is a vertical section through the device showing it operatively applied in a line casting machine and showing the operat ing means in elevation Figure 2 is a front view of Figure 1, and

45 Figure 3 is a front elevation of the device,

portions being broken away for clarity.

In carrying out our invention we make use of a mold disc indicated generally at 1, and we further make use of the lower half of the mold,'this being indicated generally at'2.

The disc 1 has an opening 3 for receiving a portion of the lower half of the mold. The parts thus far described form no part of our invention except insofar as they cooperate with the parts now to be described.

The upper half of the mold differs from the upper half now in standard use, and consists of a number of parts which will now be described, Reference to Figure 3 shows a casing 3 disposed at each end of the lower mold half 2, and resting upon the upper face 4 of the lower mold half. The casings are of a prearranged shape so as to fit into recesses 5 in the mold disc 1 which are already provided in standard machines. The casings have lugs 6 on their under-surfaces which enter grooves 7 in the face 4. The casings are held in contact with the lower mold half 2 by means of screws 8 that are inserted in threaded openings 9 in the mold disc 1. It will be noted from the right-hand side of Figure 3 that each casing 3' is provided with a guide opening 10 therein.

This opening slidably receives a depending portion 11 of a bi-wedge mold cap 12.

The cap 12 has a recess 13 for slidably receiving a transverse portion 14 of the casing 3. The outer face 15 of the transverse portion 14 forms one end of the space 16 that receives the lead for forming the slug, regardless of the position of the bi-wedge mold cap 12 with respect to the face 4, that is, regardless of whether the mold cap- 12 is positioned five points away from the face 4 or fourteen points away. The underface 17 of the mold cap 12 forms the top of the recess 16.

When the bottom faces 18 of the portions 11 contact with the face 4, the face 17 is disposed five points away from the face 4. Springs 19 urge the bi-wedge mold cap 12 upwardly, and we provide means for accurately positioning the mold cap 12 with respect to the face 4 so as to permit the device to castslugs of any desired point size.

This means consists of two wedges 20 integral with the cap 12 and being received in the wedge-shaped recess 21 of a movable wedge 22. The wedge 22 has teeth 23 cut therein for receiving a gear 24 rotatably carried by a stationary upper mold cap 25. A

rotation of the gear 24 by a means hereinafter described will shift the movable wedge or cam member 22 laterally, and this will either move the mold cap 12 downwardly or permit the springs 19 to move the cap upwardly, depending upon the direction in which the cam. 22 is moved.

In order to aid the operator in determining whether the mold cap 12 is at the proper distance for the point size desired, we provide a series of cuts or grooves 26 in the upper face 27 of the cam 22, these grooves being disposed even points apart and also including the five and one-half point setting. For example, the grooves 26 represent five and one-half points, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 points respectively. A spring-pressed pin 28 non-circular in cross section and carried by the stationary cap 25 has a knife edge for entering any one of the grooves 26. d

On the right-hand side of the gear 24 we provide a second set of grooves 29 which represent the odd point such as 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13, and a spring-pressed pin 30 similar to the pin 28 is designed to enter these grooves and has a knife edge for this purpose. The reason for separating the grooves 26 and into two ups is to provide more space between adacent grooves than would be possible were all of the grooves placed in one group.

We provide means for anchoring the stationary cap 25 to the mold disc 1 and for aligning this cap so that its under surface 31 will be disposed parallel with the surface 4. This will assure the surface 17 being parallel with the surface 4 regardless of the space between the two surfaces 4 and 17.

A screw 31 (see Figures 1 and 2) has its head received in a recess in the stationary cap 25 and its shank threaded in a bore 32 in the mold disc 1. A kerf 33 in the end of the shank permits the screw 31 to be turned for anchoring the cap 25 to the under surface of the opening 3. Cap screws 34 are disposed on either side of the screw 31, and the heads of these screws are receivable in recesses 35 so that the tops of the heads lie flush with the top of the cap 25. The heads have openings 36 therein for receiving an actuating pin whereby the screws 34 may be rotated for bringing them into contact with the under surface of the opening 3. T he screws 34 are used for the purpose of swinging the under surface 31 into a parallel relation with respect to the surface 4. It will also be noted in Figures 1 and 3 that pins 37 extend from the top of the cap 25 and bear against the front face of the mold disc 1. V

The means for turning the gear 24 for moving the cam 22 laterally is shown in Figures 1 and 2. A disc-shaped member 38 is removably secured to a support 39 formin a part of the line casting machine by a bolt 40 or other suitable fastening means. A projection 41 is carried by the disc 38. and a rod 42 is slidably and rotatably mounted in the disc and projection. Pins 43 are carried by the inner edge of the rod 42 and are receivable in openings 44 in the gear 24. A spring 45 bears against a washer 46 for yieldingly holding the rod 42 out of engagement with the gear 24.

The disc 38 has an arrow 47 (see Figure 2) marked thereon, and a movable disc 48 is secured to the disc 38 by guide lugs 49. The disc 48 is feathered to the rod 42 so as to be rotated by the rod but to permit the rod to move longitudinally with. respect thereto. The rotatable disc 48 has markings 50 thereon corresponding with the point size desired, these markings ranging from five to fourteen points inclusive and also including the five and one-half point marking. A knob 51 is mounted on the outer end of the rod 42.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood.

The parts are assembled in the manner already described. and the device is ready for use, and by a mere rotation of the knob 51 after it has been moved longitudinally so as to cause the pins 43 to engage with the gear 24, the desired point size of slug can be obtained. The gear 24 is registrable with the rod 42 when the disc 1 is in a predetermined position. The temporary connecting of the rod 42 with the gear 24 and the subsequent turning of the knob 51 into the desired position will rotate the gear and will cause the cam 22 to move with respect to the bi-wedge mold cap for permitting the springs 19 to raise the cap or for causing the cams 20 to move the cap 12 downwardly against the tension of the springs. When the desired position is reached, the knob 51 can be released and the spring 45 will disconnect the rod 42 from the gear 24. This is the only operation necessary to change from one point size to any other point size within the limits of the device.

In Figure 1 we show the space 16 for receiving the lead, and we show a conduit 52 for conveying the molten metal to the space 16, and we further show a matrix 53 representing a row of matrises and spacers as closing the other end of the space 16. This part of the operation of the device is standard, and therefore needs no further description.

Although we have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of various changes. and we reserve the right to employ such changes as may come within the scope of the claims hereto annexed.

o claim:

1. The combination with a line casting machine having a mold disc, of a mold disposed in the disc and having an upper and a lower half, and means entirely disposed within the boundaries of the mold for adjusting one of f1;-

the halves while the mold is still in the mold disc for forming slugs of difierent point sizes.

2. A mold for line casting machines comprising a lower and an upper half, the upper half having an anchored part and a movable part, the upper half movable art cooperating with the lower half for forming slugs of difierent point sizes, and means entirely disposed within the boundaries of the upper half for moving the movable part toward and away from the anchored part.

3. A mold comprising an upper and a lower half, end members placed at the ends and top of the lower half, a movable cap slidably disposed between the end members, means entirely disposed within the sides of the upper half for moving the cap toward and away from the lower half, and means for holding the cap in adjusted position.

4. The combination with a line casting machine having a mold disc, of a mold carried thereby and having a slug forming recess with three fixed walls forming the bottom and sides of the recess, a fourth wall movable toward and away from the bottom wall, means entirely disposed within the outer surfaces of the mold for moving the fourth wall into the desired position, and means disposed within the mold for holding the fourth wall in adjusted position.

5. The combination with a line casting machine having a mold disc, of a mold carried thereby and having a slug forming recess with three fixed walls forming the bottom and sides of the recess, a fourth wall movable toward and away from the bottom wall, means i for moving the fourth wall into the desired position, means for holding it in adjusted position, said wall moving means includng a gear, disposed within the mold and having a face lying flush with the face of the mold.

6. The combination with a support having a mold receiving opening therein, of a mold comprising an upper and a lower half, the lower half being disposed in said opening and secured to the support, the upper half including end members secured to the lower half, a movable cap slidable in the end members, spring means for urging the cap away from the lower half, a cam for moving the cap toward the lower half, a fixed guide member for the cam, and means for moving the cam.

and means for adjusting the gular position of the guide member.

8. The combination with a support having a mold receiving opening therein, of a mold comprising an upper and a lower half, the lower half being disposed in said opening and secured to the support, the upper half including end members secured to the lower half, a movable cap slidable in the end members, spring means for urging the cap away from the lower half, a cam for moving the cap toward the lower half, a fixed guide member for the cam, means for moving the cam, said cam moving means including a rack formed in the cam and a gear carried by the guide, and cooperating means carried by the cam and guide for holding the parts in adjusted position.

9. A mold for a line casting machine comprising an upper and a lower half having an elongated opening therebetween for receiving metal, one of the two longer walls of the opening being movable toward and away from the other wall, means for adjusting the position of the movable wall with respect to the other wall, said means being entirely confined within the boundaries of the mold.

ARTHUR L. GAGNE. JOSEPH A. SNYDER. 

